North Port officer cleared of harassment after resigning

Published: Thursday, May 8, 2014 at 6:43 p.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, May 8, 2014 at 6:43 p.m.

NORTH PORT - A city police sergeant, accused of harassment by a female employee, has been cleared of wrongdoing following an internal investigation, Police Chief Kevin Vespia announced Thursday.

Sgt. Patrick Sachkar was placed on administrative leave on April 10. He resigned from the force, citing personal reasons, before the investigation was completed.

The complaint was made by communications operator Esther Kazaryan, who said over a three-month period Sachkar repeatedly recommended that she work out at the city's Morgan recreational center.

Sachkar later made a sexually suggestive comment to Kazaryan at the exercise center, she said. He also made a negative comment about “Russian women,” according to the department's report.

She said that on March 28th, while looking in the mirror after she ran on the treadmill, Sachkar approached her and said, “I saw you checking out your ass.” According to Kazaryan, Sachkar also told her to “Call me daddy.”

North Port Police Department investigator Steve Uebelacker said he received the complaint on April 11. Uebelacker contacted Sachkar on April 17 and said he had more interviews to complete and would be contacting Sachkar the next week. Sachkar resigned the following day.

But, on April 24th, according to the report, Sachkar requested a meeting with Uebelacker to tell “his side of the story.” At that meeting, Sachkar said he did comment to Kazaryan at the gym after he saw her looking at herself in the mirror, telling her “it was OK to look at herself and explained to her that's why people wear tank tops and shorts and she shouldn't be embarrassed,” the report said.

As for the comment about calling him “daddy,” Sachkar said he did not say that, but may have suggested the age difference between them and that he was old enough to be her father. He told the investigator that Russian women are “too submissive. If they were hit by their boyfriend, they would probably be the one to apologize.”

The investigator concluded that while the comments may have been inappropriate, they did not rise to the level of harassment or discrimination. He said that if Sachkar had remained on the force, sexual harassment/sensitivity training would have been prescribed and Sachkar would no longer represent the department in new hire fitness orientation.

<p><em>NORTH PORT</em> - A city police sergeant, accused of harassment by a female employee, has been cleared of wrongdoing following an internal investigation, Police Chief Kevin Vespia announced Thursday.</p><p>Sgt. Patrick Sachkar was placed on administrative leave on April 10. He resigned from the force, citing personal reasons, before the investigation was completed.</p><p>The complaint was made by communications operator Esther Kazaryan, who said over a three-month period Sachkar repeatedly recommended that she work out at the city's Morgan recreational center. </p><p>Sachkar later made a sexually suggestive comment to Kazaryan at the exercise center, she said. He also made a negative comment about “Russian women,” according to the department's report.</p><p>She said that on March 28th, while looking in the mirror after she ran on the treadmill, Sachkar approached her and said, “I saw you checking out your ass.” According to Kazaryan, Sachkar also told her to “Call me daddy.”</p><p>North Port Police Department investigator Steve Uebelacker said he received the complaint on April 11. Uebelacker contacted Sachkar on April 17 and said he had more interviews to complete and would be contacting Sachkar the next week. Sachkar resigned the following day.</p><p>But, on April 24th, according to the report, Sachkar requested a meeting with Uebelacker to tell “his side of the story.” At that meeting, Sachkar said he did comment to Kazaryan at the gym after he saw her looking at herself in the mirror, telling her “it was OK to look at herself and explained to her that's why people wear tank tops and shorts and she shouldn't be embarrassed,” the report said.</p><p>As for the comment about calling him “daddy,” Sachkar said he did not say that, but may have suggested the age difference between them and that he was old enough to be her father. He told the investigator that Russian women are “too submissive. If they were hit by their boyfriend, they would probably be the one to apologize.”</p><p>The investigator concluded that while the comments may have been inappropriate, they did not rise to the level of harassment or discrimination. He said that if Sachkar had remained on the force, sexual harassment/sensitivity training would have been prescribed and Sachkar would no longer represent the department in new hire fitness orientation.</p>